1. Baking a cake for Mike’s 29th birthday.
2. The resulting cake.
3. A cute little heart pin a couple of my sweet coworkers surprised me with!
4. #FEBphotoaday, Day 1: YourView
5. #FEBphotoaday, Day 3: Hands (got my hands on my first shamrock shake for the year!)
6. Snuggling with my Gracie-dogger.

P.S. Don’t forget about my big birthday giveaway
going on throughout February!

As a Pennsylvanian, it was always a big deal — I remember making paper groundhog cutouts in elementary school, and perching on the edge of my seat watching Good Morning America every February 2nd to find out if he’d see his shadow! Even in college, I’d sport a cute “Punxy Phil” baby-tee to class to celebrate. I think it’s such a fun, quirky holiday; plus I think groundhogs are darn-cute little critters!

Did you ever wonder how Groundhog Day got started?

German families settling in central Pennsylvania during the 1700s brought with them the tradition of Candlemas Day, which can be traced back to the pagan Imbolic celebration that falls mid-way between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Tradition suggests that if the weather was fair and the sun was out on that day, the second half of winter would be stormy and cold.

In Europe, Germans used a badger for their prognostication: if the sun was shining and the badger cast a shadow, then they could expect more wintery weather. In Pennsylvania, the badger was replaced by the groundhog.

Of course, lots of other cities have joined in the fun! There are at least 15 other groundhog-meterologists across the US, including Buckeye Chuck in Ohio and General Beauregard Lee in Georgia.

This year, Punxutawney Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter, but according to Wikipedia, a majority of his counterparts predicted an early spring for 2012 … here’s hoping!

(images via here and here)

I know I’ve posted before about how much my rescue-pup Grace means to me. So, my wish is this: that all my blog readers would send a donation to an animal rescue or animal welfare organization during the month of February!

It can be $1 or $100. It can be to a national organization like the ASPCA or the the PetFinder Foundation, or to a local shelter or rescue in your area. Every little bit helps! These animals have SO much joy to give and just need the opportunity to be matched with a loving home!

How could you resist that pout!?

Here’s the extra-fun part: Birthdays are no fun without gifts right? So I also wanted to include a BIG giveaway! Three of my very favorite bloggers have donated prizes and I’ll be choosing 5 winners!…

Prize #1: A handmade hairpiece from Kaelah’s Hive + Honey Shoppe!

My name is Kaelah Bee and I’m a 23 year old small business owner, graphic designer and lifestyle blogger living in Nashville, Tennessee. I share my day to day with my fiance Mike and our two fat bulldogs, Georgia and Pipkin. (And there’s a silly cat named Enid hiding somewhere!) I like to make handmade pretty things and I run Honeybean Mobile Boutique out of a renovated peach + white 1968 Yellowstone camper. Our three munchkins are the equivalent to children for us and we spoil them rotten. I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Kaelah’s Blog | Honeybean Boutique | Hive + Honey Shoppe | @kaelahbee on Twitter

Prize #2 & 3: A Print from Lady Hue (TWO Winners!)

I am thrilled to support Mandi and this great cause! I was never a big animal person growing up, but just over a year ago I happened to come across the cutest puppy I had ever seen. My heart melted and two days later, to my husbands surprise, I took him home with me. Albus is a quirky, overly-energetic mini poodle that I have come to love. I never knew animals could be so clever or loving, but he filled a little animal sized hole in my heart that I didn’t even know existed. I hope we can all join in this cause to help all of the lonely animals out there that are looking for a little loving.

Hue & Hum Blog | Lady Hue Etsy Shop | @LadyHue on Twitter

Prize #4: Twinkle Twinkle Locket from Brittney’s Two Little Moos Shop

I’m Brittney, a late twenties interwebs geek — wearing the hats of wife, pet parent, worker bee & charity crafter — sharing life with my husband & our furry little zoo. A former vet tech and rescue rehabilitation specialist, the plight of animals has always been dear to my heart. I’m mama to four rescue kitties and three crazy spaniels; our latest being a puppy mill survivor who has stolen our hearts as he learns to enjoy a cruelty-free life. My shop, named after my first two pups, was born out a desire to create quality goods while also helping those in need – so 50% of more of my profit is donated to varying animal welfare groups each month, and everything comes gift-wrapped in 100% eco-friendly materials for free. When I’m not doing the 9-5, I moonlight whenever possible in: blogging, senses of humor, animal welfare, all things Disney & Tim Burton, photography, gluten-free cooking, books & films, zombie fighting and dreaming of the day I am no longer just a Muggle.

LaMidge Blog | Two Little Moos Shop | @itslamidge on Twitter

Prize #5: A Blog Bling Kit from PuglyPixel

Finally, I wanted to contribute a prize myself, and lately I have been loving the Blog Bling Kit from PuglyPixel. The photo templates I used for this post come from the kit, along with lots of other fun “bling” for your blog!

How to Enter

Make a donation of any amount to your favorite animal rescue, shelter or welfare organization between February 1, 2012 and February 29, 2012. After donating, enter your info into the Rafflecopter widget below to enter! Get extra entries by Tweeting, posting to Facebook, or posting about this giveaway on your blog then entering that info into the Rafflecopter widget also.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feel free to comment on this post, but please note that comments on this post will not count as entries. Please make sure to put your entries into the Rafflecopter widget (above).

Winners will be announced March 1, 2012 and will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter/Random.org. One prize per person.

I participated for a while in the January photo-a-day challenge, but got behind. It’s nice to start fresh again!

I’m hanging out at home, waiting for him to get home from work (poor guy) and decided to bake him a birthday cake.

I was experimenting with Kinotopic for iPhone – so fun! It lets you take a short video then isolate just one piece to create an animated GIF. Here’s my Kinotopic profile, though there’s not much there.

Well … I’m certainly not going to quit my day job and become a cake-decorator. But I think it turned out cute!

If you have an iPhone, follow me (@mandi224) on Instagram, or check out my feed via GramFeed.

1. Using my vintage Pyrex to make dinner earlier this week.
2. Just normal, dorky me.
3. One of my favorite ModCloth dresses!
4. Sewing a new tote bag with some fabulous repro fabric (that’s the wrong side – the right side is super vibrant!)
5. New living room decor – Mike and I had to have this.
6. Vanilla-scented owl candle I found on clearance for $3 at Target!

Young women walk around proudly wearing tshirts that proclaim them to be a b*tch. Meredith Brooks glorified it in a song. (For the record, it’s a catchy tune and I do like it.) Women talk about a “night out with my b*tches” …

When did labeling yourself a b*tch become a badge of honor?

(source)

Apparently I missed the memo, but when did being a b*tch become synonomous with being a strong, independent woman? When did it become more acceptable (and even preferable!?) to be feared for your b*tchiness than it is to be respected for your compassion and intellegence?

I’m grateful to live in a time and place where there are so many examples strong, influential women to look up to. Wives and mothers finally receive some of the credit due to them for the hard work they do every day. People are starting to realize that it’s equally as admirable for a woman to be a stay-at-home-mother as it is for her to be a CEO. Women are free to choose family, career, or both. There are women working in pretty much every industry, and female-owned businesses are booming. It’s exciting and inspiring!

So why do some women proudly wear the label “b*tch” or call their fellow women – ones they count as their friends – their “b*tches”? Is it no longer a derogetory word?

Bad Girl’s Club: Glorifying bad attitudes and poor anger management skills, one trainwreck season at a time!

I’m not a b*tch. I do not want to BE anyone’s b*tch. Does that make me any less strong or independent? Most certainly not!

It seems women tend to achieve their power in one of two primary ways: (1) through grace, dignity, and compassion that wins the admiration and respect of their friends, family, and coworkers, OR (2) through being a b*tch who gets results through fear and bullying rather than respect.

Why do so many girls and women choose the latter option? It’s the easy way out. It’s much easier to pitch a fit and get your way. It’s much easier to make demands. It’s much easier to use excuses. It’s much easier to get the results you want because others know you’ll fly off the handle if you don’t get your way. But is that the right way to get results? Are you really being respected? Most importantly, is that the type of person you really want to BE?

Lovely. I bet your mom is really proud, too. (source)

I look to my great grandmother’s generation (or perhaps a somewhat romanticized notion of it): Women who were primarily homemakers or perhaps worked part-time outside the home. To the untrained eye they might seem fragile, feminine, and meek in their house-dresses and aprons, but a great many of these women were forces to be reckoned with! Their power was not derived from being loud, mean, or tyranical, but by being strong, compassionate, and brilliant. As the saying goes, “Behind every good man there is a great woman” — these were those women!

I don’t really think of myself as a feminist. Working as a developer in the IT industry, I am well aware that I’m a minority and that I have feminists to thank for my career even being an option. For that, I’m grateful. I’m also thankful to have come from a line of very strong women — none of whom could be labelled a b*tch, yet they were/are good at getting what they want in life!

(source)

I tend to subscribe to subdued feminism: If you want to get ahead, be respected, and be successful, do it with grace and confidence, but not a “b*tchy” attitude. Use charm, but not your “womanly wiles”. Use compassion to win the hearts of others, who will respect and admire you as a result. Give credit and compliments freely and frequently where they are due, and they will come back to you and reflect on who you are personally and professionally. The way to get ahead in life is to be loved, admired, and respected — not feared.

Negativity only breeds negativity; putting the work of others’ down will only bring you down in the end. In authoritative positions, you will never inspire the best in others by being intimidating or overly critical; instead, be encouraging, be supportive, and take time to celebrate milestones achieved along the way.

(source)

Moreover, PLEASE ladies, STOP condoning the use of the word “b*tch”! Do not wear it as a badge of honor. Do not call people who are supposedly your friends “your b*tches”. You’re doing a disservice to your gender.

If you’re someone who proudly calls yourself a “b*tch”, don’t be afraid to let the word go. That label holds you back; it does not empower you. Being kind, compassionate and vulnerable enough to connect with other people on the most basic levels will NOT make you any less strong. Quite the opposite, actually…

Here’s a little secret … I have (or had) a lazy eye.

When I was 3, my parents started noticing that I was squinting and turning my head to watch TV and that sometimes when I was tired, my right eye would drift inwards. I think they were a little more aware of it than some parents because at least three of my cousins had the same problem. They took me to an amazing opthamologist and I got my first pair of eyeglasses.

Me with my Godfather - who was apparently a big fan of denim in the 80s!

The doctor promised me if I worse my glasses all day every day, that my eyes would get better. On top of that, they patched my good (left) eye to help strengthen my weaker right eye. Thankfully my parents, after observing one of my cousins go through absolute misery having adhesive eye patches stuck directly to his skin, decided that sticking the patch to the lens of the glasses was a much better option for me.

I remember my first pair of prescription glasses very well, actually. They had strawberries on the sides near the hinge, and I called them my “Strawberry Shortcake” glasses. I wore them every day faithfully, because I really took to heart what the doctor had told me.

Around the age of 13, I got contact lenses, and wore those till I was about 16. At an eye exam checkup when I was 16, the doctor finally told me my eyes were better. After 13 years of wearing glasses, I didn’t have to wear them anymore! My right eye still has less than perfect vision, but they said it’s nothing that drugstore reading glasses couldn’t correct if I felt I needed something.

However, the doctor warned me, because my eyes started out so weak to begin with, I’ll probably need prescription glasses again in a few years, and will likely need bifocals at a much younger age than other people do.

I figure that’s okay because: (1) I got a few years totally free from having to wear glasses/contacts, (2) I kind of love wearing glasses anyway, and (3) there are SO many fun places online to buy glasses now that are stylish and reasonably priced!

That brings me to GlassesUSA.com. Have you checked out their site? They sell frames from designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Calvin Klein and lots more, and their prices start at $38, which includes the prescription lens. You can’t get much better than that!

I used their virtual fitting room to try on a few pairs, and I fell in love with the Lady Liberty ones!

I noticed you can even order their frames with clear lenses or in reading glass strengths. So no matter what your needs, they have you covered!

GlassesUSA.com was kind enough to give me two special offer codes to share with you all as well!

• Take 20% off your entire order of $80 or more and get FREE US shipping with the code: FS20
• Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses. Code: Blog10

Since we’ve already determined it’s totally cool to break the “rule” of mixing florals and stripes (right?),  I decided it’s high time for another pattern mismatch match-up: houndstooth and polka dots. Then I threw in some industrial-looking 2g hoop earrings, just to cut the femininity a tiny bit, and some bright teal tights because I have to have SOME color!

I pretty much love this outfit.

Dress: ModCloth
Cardigan: Old Navy
Tights (not pictured): We Love Colors
Headband: Gussy Sews

First I stopped at All Season’s Marketplace and found this adorable spice rack that was half price. I love bargains!

(Do you love my kitchen witch?! It was my grandmother’s.)

Then I stopped at Goodwill. Goodwill is always hit or miss. I found an amazing pair of heels, but unfortunately they were only a size 5. I debated over a couple purses but in the end,  I walked out with two cute little bracelets for about $4.

On my way home, I stopped at Mel and Tee’s New and Used shop. It was my second time there and by far my favorite part is when you walk in the front door, you’re greeted by a rainbow of beautiful glass…

The picture doesn’t remotely do it justice! The glass is all grouped by color and the shelves have white twinkle lights behind them, so everything just sparkles. (It kind of makes me want to drag it all home with me and display it the same way!)

Anyway, I scored BIG time at Mel & Tee’s today …

I found two small Fire King casserole dishes in the patterns I already collect (Primrose and the hand-painted Peach Blossom by Gay Fad Studio). The little dish on the left I grabbed on a whim because it looked like it might be another Gay Fad piece. After doing some research, I believe I was correct — I think it’s the “Fruit” pattern, 4″ refrigerator dish.

I haven’t been able to identify the 8″ square dish on the right. The bottom just says “Ovenware”. It’s not important, though — I thought the yellow daisies are super happy-looking and it’s going to be perfect for baking brownies!

The best part? Each piece was only $4 and they knocked a dollar off for the heck of it, so I got ALL the pieces above for $15!

This little guy also really wanted to come home with me …

C’mon!! It’s the 7up Dot! I have such fond memories of those commercials (my favorite was the Christmas one). It was only $15 too, but then I realized we don’t have home telephone service (just cell phones) and Mike would probably think I’d lost my mind. Hopefully someone will love him and give him a great home though!